For the love of books

Two years since Kristine Simisim first opened Books and Borders Café in Tomas Morato—a restaurant venture that combines her love for books and coffee—the young entrepreneur happily found herself inaugurating her fourth branch at Manhattan Parkview, Araneta Center, Cubao. For the 27-year-old, the latest store proved her concept was not just a fad.

“I opened this café two years ago because I realized people are always reading on the internet. I really wanted to bring back their love for books through this café,” Simisim told The Manila Times adding that she believes their continuous growth shows book lovers are just waiting to have places dedicated for them.

Book and Borders owner Kristine Simisim (third from left) with her special guests Jonas Gaffud (second from left), Carlo Orosa (center), Korina Sanchez (third from right) and other celebrity guests

Its regular patrons will know that Book and Borders aims to bring together the cozy ambiance of a favorite coffee shop and the charming feel of a library all in one Instagram-worthy space.

To complete the experience, the café also offers sweet and savory menu like their best-selling tuyo (salted fish) pasta and adobo flakes.

As for its main offering, Simisim, a self-confessed bookworm, proudly revealed that she and her bibliophile friends have carefully curated the books that their café carries.

“There are currently around 600 books just for this Manhattan branch alone. So we have ficiton, children’s book, mystery thriller, romance, and a lot more,” the young entrepreneur shared.

Simisim believes her café’s wide book selection also paved the way for them to attract various customers.

“We have students and medical students who study here during weekdays and families with young kids who are instantly drawn to our children’s books selections during weekends,” Simisim noted adding that a regular client would spend two to three hours at their various branches.